Improvement in hydrostatic and electric telegraph cables



3 Sheets--Sheer L F. TOMMASIY. Hydrostatic and Electric Telegraph-Cables.

Patented Gut. i4, 1873.

. .-3 Sheets--Sheet 2. F. TMMASI.

Hydrostatic and Electric Telgralph-Gables.` No. \43,5Q7. Paxenmd0m.i4,\373.

3Sheets--Sheet3, n r. ToMMAs. Hydrostatic a'nd Electric Telegraph-Cables. N0'. 143,597, Patented 0ct.4,l873.

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UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIGE.

FERDINANDO TOMMASI, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HVDROSTATC AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,597, dated October 14, 1873; application 'filed v November 20, 1872.

Toa/ZZ whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINANDO ToMMAsi, of the city of Paris, Department of the Seine,

in the Republic of France, have invented an Improved Hydro-Electric Cable, and improved apparatus in connection therewith, of which the following is a speciiication:

Suppose a pipe, of any diameter and length, to be filled with a liquid, and to have at its extremities two movable pistons of equal bore; further, that the pipe is curved until both eX- tremities are brought close to cach other, and that the pistons are united by an oscillating lever common to both, so that one operator, acting at the same time on both oscillating extremities ot' the lever, may lower one of the pistons while lifting tl ie other. Suppose, also, that, previous to the stroke of the lever, the liquid has been. compressed in such away that, relatively to the resistance to be overcome to displace the liquid with a given speed, this liquid can no longer be compressed, nor the capacity of pipe which holds it be increased. llverything being thus arranged, it is incontestable, irst, that the pressure exercised upon the descending piston is eonununieated immediately to the whole mass of liquid contained in the pipe and to the ascending piston; second, that the liquid will occupy in the second piston as much space as it has vacated in the iirst; third, that the speed of this displacement will be in proportion to the active power of the operator, or of any other auxiliary power athis command.

My hydro-electric cable is but a natural. application ofthe above data. In principle, it is a pipe filled with liquid, and working under the conditions above set forth.

The following description. will set forth the manner in which the reciprocating displacements of this liquid operate to set in motion ordinary electric tclegraphing apparatus.

My hydroelectric cable is composed of an optional number of small pipes of pure copper. They are collected in bundles or sheaves, are coated with gutta-pcrcha, and incloscd in cork cylinders or jackets placed end to end, these cylinders being tightly compressed by means of a coating composed of strong Vtarred hemp rope applied in crossed spircs. These ropes or cords may be replaced by iron or steel. wire crated with tarred hemp or other suitable material. The cork cylinders or jackets might also be suppressed, if deemed desirable-tor example, if it be considered more advantageous to have a strong than a light cable.- The in side diameter of these small pipes is from the one-twelfth to one-eighth of an inch, (two to three millimeters,) and the outer diameter from one-eighth to one-sixth ot an inch, (three to four and a half millimeters.) They are drawn in one piece, and without any welding in the direction of their length. Each end piece may have a length of eight hundred and twelve feet six inches, (two hundred and fifty meters;) but whatever may be their len gth, they are screwed end to end inside of a small cylinder or clutchbox tapped in the interior, and are afterward copper-soldered. The small cylinders or clutchboxes are also made ot' pure copper. As to the number of these small pipes, there are as many couples of pipes in the cable as there are dis.- patches to be simultaneously ii'orwarded or received.

Figure l., Sheet I, is a plan view of a telegraphing apparatus embodying my invention, drawn to a scale of twenty-tive Onehundredths. Fig. 2, Sheet I, is an elevation of a cable made according to my invention, drawn full size. Iiig. 2t, Sheet I, is a section ot' same. Fig. 3, Sheet Il, is an elevation of electromanipulating apparatus, drawi 1. to a scale ot' iive-tenths. Fig. 4, Sheet II, is an elevation of relay apparatns, drawn to a scale oi tive-tenths; and Fig. 5, Sheet III, elevation of hydraulic press.

A indicates a Morses manipulator; B, pile; O, tap; I), tap; E, clectro-manipulating appa- 1atus F, hydraulic press; G, basin to receive the water discharged from the hydraulic press; H, pile; I, space between the two corresponding telegral/)h-oiices; K, relay apparatus; L, pile; M, Morscs receiver; N, electro-magnet; O, lever; I), clectromagnet; Q, It, vertical pump-barrels; S T, horizontal pump-barrels; U, piece dependent upon the two pistons S and T, and which, in moving from left to right, comes in contact with screw V; XV, spiral spring; X, union-joint; Y, tap; Z, weighted piece or plate; A electric bell or alarm.

Figs. 2 and show, in elevation and section, a cable containing four pipes, and consequently suitable to the simultaneous expedition or reception o' two dirqiatohes. These pipes are entirely iilled with distilled water, treed from air and mixed with alcohol. Each couple ends on one side in the electro-n1anipulating apparatus, Fig. and on the other side in the relay apparatus, Fig. et. The vertical pump-barrels Q and l?, Fi 3, and those placed horizontally, S and T, Fig. el, are also iilled with the same water,which torms, consequently, two liquid veins, one of which begins under the vertical piston Q, and ends under the horizontal piston S, the other beginning under the vertical piston ll, and ending under the horizontal piston T.

)Vlien by means otl an ordinary manipulator-tor example, Morses, A, Fig. l-the current ot' the pile B (same ligure) is passed into the electro-magnet N, Fig. 3, the lever immediately forces piston Q, to lower and piston R to rise. The et't'ect otl this maneuver is, that piston S, Fig. 1, is pushed, while piston T is pulled, and consequently the piece U, dependent on those two pistons, moves from let't to right, and comes in contact with screwV.

fhen by means ofthe at'oresaid manipulator the current ot'pile B, Fig. l, passes through the electro-magnet l), Fig. 3, the lever 0 at once compels piston R to lower and piston Q to rise. The ettect ot' this maneuver' is, that piston T, Fig. l, is naturally pushed, while piston S is pulled, consequently piece U moves in the opposite direction-that is, from right to let't--andbreaks the conta et with the screw V.

Piece U and screw V, Fig. 4, being the two poles of ay local pile connected with an ordinary apparatus ot' telegraphic reception, (dial, Morses, llugues, Scc.,) it is obvious that the current of this pile, being alternately intercepted and renewed, will work that apparatus in the ordinary conditions.

Each one ot the two lnunp-barrels Q and R, Fig. l), has a` tap placed in trout ot' the junction where the pipe ot' the cable ends. (See (l and l), Fig. l.) Both taps are united by means otl a bent pipe to a single pipe, and to the junction or union-joint X, 5, otl the hydraulic press. )Yhen there are no dispatches to be forwarded, tap Y, Fig. 5, and taps C and D, Fig. l, are turned on. The weight with which piece Z, Fig. 5, is charged then exercises an equal pressure upon all the liquid mass contained in the pump-barrel ot' the press, in the pump-barrels of both appa ratus, and in both pipes, and consequent] y on the inside walls otl those pumpbarrels and pipes. lt t'ollows from this that it' the weight acting upon piece Z, Fig. 5, is sutiieient to compress the water and increase the capacity ot' the pipes, so that the water needs no more to be compressed, or the capacity ot' the pipes to be increased under the pressure ot.' the descending piston, the oscillation operated by the electromanipulating apparatus, Fig. 3, will be immediately transmitted to the relay apparatus, Fig. l, whatever the diameterl and length ot' the pipes maybe. For this it will be suttieient to close the taps Y, Fig. 5, and

taps C and D, Fig. l, and to send successively into the electro-magnets )I and l, Fig. 3, a current strong enough to enable the electromagnets-each in its turn-to draw lever 0 instantaneously, in spite ot' the resistance opposed by the liquid column that must be displaced through the eti'ect ot' the oscillation ot' that lever.

Piece U, Fig. l, is only displaced the two hundred and tittieth part ot4 an inch, (onctenth ot' a millimeter.) This is sut'iicient t'or a contact or an interruption. Both pistons S and T, Fig. Je, have adiameter ot about onefourth of an inch (six millimeters) each. Therefore the quantity of water displaced at each oscillation does not go beyond the volume otl three cubic millimeters.

)Vhcn taps Y, Fig. 5, and C D, Fig. l, are turned on, the \vater-]n'essure on both pistons S and T is equal. Then the piece U is as much subject to be farther oit' as nearer screw V. In that case the spiral spring )Y always keeps it at a distance from screw Y, with which this piece can only come in contact through the eticctor" the oscillations ot' lever O, Fig.

The function of the hydraulic press is not only to preserve a constant pressure in the water-pipes and apparatus, as l have above shown it 5 but it serves also to compensate automatically the variations ot' volume that the waterpipes and apparatus may undergo, according to the changes ot' temperature. Indeed it is obvious that, when taps Y, Fig. 5, and C l), Fi 1, are turned on, the increase or the diminution of the water-volume can produce no other result than t-he rising or lowering of the piston ot' the hydraulic press. Thcnce the volume of water contained in both pipes and in the apparatus must always and forcibly remain the same. The electric bell A', Fig. 5, calls automatically the otliceclerk every time the piston comes to the upper or lower extremity ot its course. The clerk, by giving passage to a` certain quantity ot' water in the iirst case, and by giving a few strokes ot' the piston with the feed-pump ot' the press in the second case, sets the piston in its normal state.

Advantages with the hydro-electric cable: First, as many simultaneous dispatches may be transmitted as there are couples of pipes inside the cable in connection with the three apparatus above described. Second, the speed ot transmission of each dispatch can easily exceed ten oscillations per second, and this represents an average ot' twenty words per minute. lhird, the rupture ot' the cable is not to be apprehended, especially that resulting `trom oxidation. A breakage produced by the weight ot` a cable provided with cork cylinders or their equivalent is almost impossible. Fourth, any existin system. ot' telegraphy may be worked with equal speed and precisiontor instance, a ilorse or Hugues system ot' dial. Fifth, the weight in the sea` ot' a cable with cork jacket does not exceed from vforty to eighty pounds per mile. the laying oi' it is ceedingly easy. Sixth, in the almost impossible case of a breakage, the place where the rupture has occurred can be easily ascertained, and, thanks to its lightness, the cable can be easily pulled on board a ship to be rapidly repaired. Seventh, at an expense of about sixty four pounds for every four furlongs, (one thousand six hundred Afrancs per kilometer,) two simultaneous dispatches may be forwarded, and each one of them with a speed of twenty words per minute-say forty words per min.- ute-and that even if the length of the cable be of two thousand miles, (four thousand kilometers.) The result is, that, at an equal expense, the hydro-electric cable gives a receipt at least ten times larger than that of ordinary cables, and that the capital expended in the construction and laying is not liable to be lost, as is often the case with ordinary cables.

Another advantage: The hydro-electric cable can be constructed so that, if required, it may be worked like an ordinary electric cable, without having, on that account, to make any l modifications after it is laid. All that is required is, that, at the time of its construction, the copper lpipes are to be isolated by the means in actual use to insulate the copper wire of ordinary cables, and with equal care.

That I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of a system of double hydrostatic signaling-tubes with the reciproeating armature of double electro-magnets at each end of the line, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbeiore set forth.

2. The combination of the same with the ordinary receiving apparatus of the electric telegraph, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The application of metallic or electricallyconducting tubes to a system of hydrostatic signaling-lines, so as to enable such cables to be employed either as mechanical or electrical telegraph-lines, as desired.

FERDINANDO TOMMA ST.

Vitnesses JEAN BArTis'rn GIRARD, Louis ROBIN. 

